


Little Miracles

by bekindplsrewind



Series: SPN Rare Ship Bingo 2020 [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Baby!Jack, F/M, Pregnant Kelly, Romance, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:15:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25109863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bekindplsrewind/pseuds/bekindplsrewind
Summary: After discovering she's pregnant with her ex, Kelly decides to keep the baby and raise it on her own. The only things she's concerned about now is the betterment of their lives--until a new volunteer shows up at her shelter.
Relationships: Castiel/Kelly Kline (Supernatural)
Series: SPN Rare Ship Bingo 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740718
Comments: 16
Kudos: 18





	Little Miracles

**Author's Note:**

> written for the [spnrareshipbingo](https://spnrareshipbingo.tumblr.com/) on tumblr, for the square, 'romance'. i chose the pairing castiel/kelly bc i thought they were really sweet together. also, my first het pairing for this bingo! LOL! tbh, i wasn't sure how to write... this? i mean, i write tonnes of fluff, but romance...? it just made me think of romance movies, and i wasn't sure if i captured that whole 'essence'. let me know if i succeeded or not D:.
> 
> many thanks to [thewaywardgryffindor](thewaywardgryffindor.tumblr.com/) for the beta and for always listening to me moan about my writing, lol D:

Two solid pink lines appeared in the little indicator window, two solid lines that seemed to never end. Kelly was pregnant, and she was alone.

It hadn’t occurred to her until one of her co-workers had joked about her persistent morning sickness she’d been having the past week. Kelly had attributed it to a recent cleanse she was doing, but realising she hadn’t had her period in almost two months was like a kick to the head; being late should have been the first thing to set off her alarm bells. In her defense, with the stresses of working at a shelter, she was prone to having irregular and often late cycles depending on her work loads. The one thing she _was_ certain about all of this was that her ex was the father.

Given her circumstances, the decision to keep the baby should have been a difficult one to make—and yet it wasn’t. She was debt free, had a fulfilling job that paid well, and had a good benefits package. The difficult part was getting ahold of Lucifer and telling him she was going to keep the baby, whether he wanted to be a part of their baby’s life or not. And as it turned out, he didn’t. This came as no surprise to her. Even though they were broken up, she’d once loved him, and knowing he didn’t want to be a part of something they’d both created—which she’d believed at the time was out of love—hurt.

After that call, she focused on changing her life for the better—for herself and her child. She read books on babies and nutritional intake for pregnant women, looked into support groups for single mothers, and attended maternity classes. She started showing at the end of her sixteenth week, a clear baby bump that even her baggiest shirt couldn’t hide. And by then, everyone at her work knew.

It was also around that time she started noticing one of the volunteers. She’d only seen him a couple of times in the past month, but with her new schedule change having her work one of the weekends, she was now seeing him once a week. From what she’d observed and heard from her co-workers, he was a nice and goodhearted person. People that visited the shelter often asked about him, too. Oddly enough, they’d never officially met, only greeted each other in passing. That was until one cold January night.

Kelly had just stepped outside carrying a tote box of paperwork. It wasn’t excessively heavy by any means, but she did rest it against her hip for leverage as she waded outside through the icy patches in the parking lot.

“Hey!” She heard someone shout from behind her, surprising her enough to make her turn around. A man with a bluster of dark hair and bright blue eyes jogged up behind her. “Do you need a hand?”

“Um, I—” Kelly didn’t so much as put up a fight as he took the plastic bin from her. “…Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled. “It can get a little dangerous around this time. One of the streetlights is out. Makes it a little harder to see.”

Kelly nodded. She was being especially careful avoiding the impacted ice and snow. “I’m sorry, I know you’ve been volunteering here for over a month now, but what was your name again…?”

“Castiel.” He juggled the tote to his side to free up an arm for a handshake. “And you’re Kelly.”

“You know my name,” she stated in surprise rather than a question.

“Kinda hard not to when everyone’s yelling it. You’re the one people get directed to.” He winked.

“I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not.”

“I assure you, it is.” Kelly glanced over at him to see how serious and sincere he was trying to be. It was a little odd considering how superficial people were these days, and for her, she wasn’t sure how to take it, if her past relationship was any indication of her judgement of character.

“Well, this is me.” She stopped behind a silver Subaru Impreza and opened up the trunk, allowing Castiel to set the tote down inside. “Thanks for the help.”

“You’re welcome. See you next week,” Castiel said with a smile. She watched as Castiel dug his hands into his pockets and ambled off into a light jog out of the parking lot.

* * *

As promised, Castiel showed up without fail but with an unexpected gift—Tupperware and what appeared to be Chinese leftovers. “It’s orange glazed tempeh,” he explained. “It’s amazing with rice and salad and I thought you’d like to try it.”

Not one to be in a position to reject him for making such a thoughtful and frankly, odd, gesture, Kelly took the tempeh—what looked like pieces of meat in a thin brown sauce—with a gracious smile and thanks.

When she arrived home, she was frazzled enough by just the thought of what to make for dinner that night that she opened the container and sniffed the contents. It smelled decent, and as she did already have a box of salad in the fridge, she put a pot of rice on the stove and settled down to dinner some thirty minutes later. Turns out, the little chunks of faux meat were rather delicious.

The following week, Kelly returned the gesture.

“Castiel,” she smiled at him as he neared her.

“Hello, Kelly. How are you?”

“Good, good.” She turned around and picked up a bag off the table. “I have something for you.” She pulled out his not-so-empty Tupperware. “I made white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. I hope you’re not allergic,” she said as she handed it to him.

“Oh,” Castiel glanced at it with genuine surprise, “I’m not. Thank you. You really didn’t have to.” His smile was demure, but he looked touched.

“My mom always told me never to return Tupperware empty. And as a token of my appreciation and thanks, the tempeh was delicious!”

“You liked it?” Again, he looked surprised.

“You’ll have to give me the recipe.”

“I… I’d love to.”

* * *

In the coming weeks, their small talk and polite greetings turned to more recipe sharing, ‘how are you’s’ to ‘how was your week’s’. Kelly found out Castiel was a high school teacher who taught history and social studies. He also offered help with resumes to whoever needed it at the shelter.

“I almost became a priest,” he admitted to her one day. This surprised her.

“Are you a religious man?”

“I was raised a Christian, but I thought of it as more of a means to give others hope as it did for me when I was a youth. The pastor always made us feel welcomed, even when my mother and I didn’t always attend church, and I thought this was something I also wanted to do with others in less fortunate circumstances.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“Well, turns out, I’m not as devoted to religious study or church attendance,” he shrugged impassively with a wry smile on his lips, “and I also wanted to get married and have a family one day,” he said with a glint in his eyes. “But I realised I still had this need to help. Being a teacher was a way for me to be the most impactful, you know, shaping young minds of the future. What I didn’t realise was how challenging it would be.”

“Kids will do that to you.”

“Do you have more children?” Castiel asked.

“Oh no,” Kelly said with a laugh as she rubbed her swollen belly, “this would be my first. I wanted kids one day, but this was entirely unexpected.” She suddenly became aware at the last second that that wasn’t something she would or should have shared.

“Ah, well, little miracles often come unannounced.”

It was like a switch had been flicked in that moment as she looked at him, her smile softening as his words put her at ease. “You’re right, they do.”

* * *

If there was ever a moment in her life that she felt completely sure of herself, this was it. Kelly had had her moments of doubt, whether she was capable of raising a child by herself. Sure, her parents were always there to support her, but she lived in another state from them, and she wasn’t one to rely on them solely. She’d overcome a lot of adversity to finally get to the point in her life where she was now. She was at peace with herself and her ex, and the love she had for her unborn child was overwhelmingly immeasurable, she couldn’t believe that could be because she hadn’t even met it yet. She knew there would be more obstacles along the way for her, but things would be okay. And in just a little over a month, she would get to meet it.

Her co-workers had thrown her a little surprise baby shower that day at work, reassuring her how blessed she was. Castiel had also shown up, on a day he normally wouldn’t have come, bearing cupcakes.

“I’m so glad you came!” she said to him.

“I am, too.” He smiled at her softly and held her gaze a little longer than needed. “I, um, love baby showers,” he added quickly. She got pulled away before she had a chance to respond. Neither of them having much opportunity to talk until after it was over when he offered to help put her things in her car.

“That about does it.” Castiel set the last bag of diapers in the trunk before shutting it.

“Thanks for all your help,” she said, pulling him into a hug.

“I’m always happy to,” he replied over her shoulder, ever mindful of her protruding belly.

“It’s so good to see you; once a week isn’t enough. I know you’re busy with school work and grading papers, but if you ever have more free time, consider coming in an extra day. We’d all love to see more of you.” She looked at him with a sincerity she’d only reserve for close friends, and she meant every word she’d said.

Castiel smiled. “I’ve considered it before. You sure you won’t get tired of seeing me coming around?” he joked.

“Who could get tired of looking at that handsome face?” she teased. “We’ll need all the help we can get before I go on maternity leave in the next month. So if you want to make it an excuse to see me before I leave, I’d be none the wiser.”

“That’ll be three months of mat leave?”

“Twelve weeks, to be exact.”

“That’s a long time to be away. I’ll certainly consider making the effort of upping my appearances. Whether it’s out of the goodness of my heart or for a friend, you wouldn’t know,” he said with a shrug.

Kelly laughed. “I’ll see you soon, Castiel.”

“Take care Kelly.”

She watched as he turned away and walked slowly down the lot, shoulders a little slumped and head inclined like he was watching the ground.

Maybe the idea of having him around more wasn’t just because they needed the little extra help, but that she would miss him, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to see him for the coming months. The thought of that made her chest ache and the loneliness that awaited her at home all the more apparent. She shook her head as an effort to dash away those thoughts and feelings, things she was afraid to further entertain.

She looked into her purse for her keys as she began to make her way around the car when her foot caught on a pothole that had only surfaced that past winter. The world was suddenly turned sideways as she hit pavement, the wind knocking out of her as she cried out in pain. She immediately grabbed her belly out of fear for her baby.

“Kelly!” She heard Castiel running back to her as pain radiated on her hip and throughout her lower back. Castiel opened the back door before returning to her. “Come on, hold on tight,” he said, wrapping her arm around his neck and hoisting her up into his arms, “I’m getting you to the hospital.” He laid her in the back and shut the door carefully.

She’d never seen Castiel with a car or even known he could drive, but seeing him at the wheel like he was in the middle of a car chase made sense yet relieved her at the same time.

They arrived at the hospital within ten minutes where he immediately had someone push out a wheelchair for her.

“Do I need to call your husband?” he asked as she carefully sat down, her hand still cradling her stomach.

“I don’t have one,” she managed between a grimace.

Castiel paused. “Do I need to call your wife?”

Kelly laughed despite the pain. “I’m not married, Castiel. Or involved with anyone,” she added.

After being asked a series of questions by a nurse and being carefully examined by a doctor, Kelly was fortunate enough that the fall hadn’t forced her into an early labour and that the baby was safe. She did, however, suffer from a large and nasty bruise along her hip where she had landed and a scraped forearm and elbow. The doctor also informed her to keep track of any sharp pains or bleeding, in case she did go into an early labour after she was sent home.

As she was being wheeled out, she was surprised to see Castiel seated in the waiting room.

“Castiel,” he immediately stood up at the sound of her voice, “I can’t believe you’re still here.”

“Is everything all right?” he asked, the concern unmistakably clear in his voice and face.

“Everything’s fine,” she assured him with a light touch to his arm. “We’re fine.” She smoothed the top of her stomach and offered a reassuring smile. “Just some angry bruises that’ll need a lot of icing and some Tylenol.” She grimaced as she pushed herself out of the wheelchair and waddled to her feet. Castiel helped her from behind and offered his other arm for support as they headed to her car.

Castiel took the wheel again as he drove her home.

“I’m sorry,” he began after a long stretch of silence, “I didn’t know you weren’t married.”

Kelly laughed. “You’ve seen my hands plenty of times, Castiel. I’ve never worn a wedding ring.”

“I thought you were more of a modern woman.” Kelly smiled at him in the dark as he kept his eyes on the road.

“It was from my previous relationship. We’d broken up before I even realised I was pregnant.”

“Oh. And does he… does your ex know?”

“He does and he doesn’t want to be involved. It was my decision to keep it whether he was going to support the baby or not, and I’m fine with his decision. I’d rather my baby have a happy life without him than an unhappy one with him.”

“You’re a very brave and strong woman, Kelly,” Castiel said solemnly. In his eyes, it looked like awe as he turned to her for a brief second before focusing back on the road.

After arriving at her home, Castiel unpacked her car and helped her inside. “Do you need anything else?” he asked.

“I’m good. Thank you so much, Castiel, for all that you’ve done,” she said, giving him a hug.

“If there’s anything else you need, you have my number; I’ll always be there to help.” He held her hands in his as he looked to her in earnest.

She nodded and shut the door softly behind him.

* * *

It took a couple of days of recuperation before she returned to work. Castiel also came through on his word and began showing up at least twice a week at the shelter. On the weekends that he volunteered, they began having lunches together, which eventually led to Kelly inviting him over to dinner.

She had originally intended to do this as a way to show her thanks, but it ended up with him taking over when he showed up halfway through her cooking. Things turned out for the better—Kelly being able to relax her sore feet while getting to watch Castiel in the kitchen, who, incidentally, also made a better tasting chicken parmigiana.

Castiel made a comment about her drain being slow when he was rinsing off the dishes, and the next night, he was over checking the pipes.

From then on, he’d come over a few times a week, helping her around the house with chores and housework that she could no longer do. He’d also help with dinner or even fix it (which was fair, considering how much of a better cook he was compared to her), bringing schoolwork with him so he could grade it there. Sometimes, she’d read over some of the work and help him, too.

After dinner one evening, they retired to the couch in front of the television. Kelly was lounged back against the armrest with a sufficient amount of pillows cushioning her back and her legs stretched out and propped up against Castiel’s lap. Castiel remained seated as he watched the television intently, hands nimbly working as he massaged one of Kelly’s swollen feet.

She sighed as she rubbed at her midsection, round and hard like a globe. “Oh!” she let out a startled cry.

“What’s wrong?” Castiel asked, immediately tensing and watching her with hawk eyes.

Kelly smiled as she kept her hand on her stomach. “Nothing. The baby just kicked. Do you want to feel it?”

Castiel nodded silently.

Taking his hand, Kelly guided it atop of her belly. He waited for a few seconds before he felt a kick and his eyes widened. Then, shifting closer, Castiel lowered his head as he pressed his ear to her stomach and listened. He laughed as he felt another kick jolt against his cheek. As he raised his head, he turned to look at Kelly, the joy and laughter in his smile matching hers. He held her gaze, and slowly, closed the short distance as he leaned in to kiss her.

Kelly was left a little breathless after he pulled back. She was confused. “Castiel, I’m pregnant,” she said, her brows furrowing.

Castiel laughed. “Clearly.”

“With another man’s baby,” Kelly clarified.

Castiel tilted his head as his expression grew serious. “I’d think so, since we’ve never had sex.”

Kelly gave him a dubious look. “And you don’t… mind?”

“I mind that we haven’t had sex, but as for whose baby you’re carrying, no, I don’t. That man isn’t in your life or your baby’s life anymore, and I’d like to fill that role. If… if you’d let me.” His thumb gently caressed over the curve of her stomach. “I love you, Kelly. I’ve loved you for quite some time, now.”

“Me, too,” she admitted, quietly. Castiel slowly leaned forward and they kissed again, softly.

In the next couple weeks, Castiel had moved in with her. It was inevitably going to happen, being that he was already spending more than half the time there, and as it turned out, the transition was seamless.

* * *

Not long after Kelly had gone on maternity leave, Castiel was setting up the crib in the other room when she waddled into the doorway. “It’s time.”

Kelly was asked some questions when she arrived at the hospital before getting wheeled away to another room. There, she was outfitted into a gown and hooked up to a fetal monitor.

“Castiel, you can’t leave me,” she panted, gripping his hand tightly.

“I won’t,” he promised, kissing her hand.

A nurse periodically entered to check for dilation and how far apart her contractions were before calling for the doctor some hours later.

He entered with a cheerful: “Looks like you’re about to have a baby. Are you the dad-to-be?” He looked at Castiel.

Kelly tugged him in towards her with a strength that was surprising and uncanny. “Yes, he is!” she grunted, almost angrily. “Not. Leaving,” she said to Castiel between clenched teeth.

Through the agony and screaming, a shrill cry of a baby suddenly broke through the tense atmosphere.

“Looks like you have a beautiful, healthy boy,” the doctor announced, presenting them the swaddled baby. Kelly and Castiel laughed with tears in their eyes as he was brought forward, Kelly taking him ever so gingerly into her arms and pressing him close to her body.

Castiel brushed the matted hair off Kelly’s forehead and kissed the damp skin there. “You’ve done such a wonderful job,” he praised.

Kelly couldn’t keep her eyes off of her son. He was so tiny in her arms and he barely weighed a thing. He was her unannounced miracle and one of the proudest things she’d ever done to date.

“He’s beautiful,” Castiel murmured by her ear.

Kelly finally turned to him, the fatigue finally setting in. “Do you want to hold him?

Castiel’s eyes widened. With an uncertainty, he nodded and carefully took him from Kelly’s hands as she passed him over to him. “Oh… hi there…—”

“Jack,” Kelly supplied.

Castiel glanced to her briefly before turning back to the baby. “Hello, Jack.” He smiled, and as if in response, Jack yawned.

**Author's Note:**

> btw, that [tempeh recipe](https://www.101cookbooks.com/panglazed-tempeh-recipe/) that cas mentions, is really good. [that one is pretty close to the one i used before. i can't remember where i found it, but it would probably taste the same.]
> 
> thank y'all for reading!
> 
> kudos and comments [especially these!] are a writer's lifeblood <3 i appreciate them all :)
> 
> you can come and bother and yell at me at my tumblr! [seagullmichael](https://seagullmichael.tumblr.com/)


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